ARLINGTON, Va. – Alex Ovechkin turned to his linemates Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas to do some film study after the Washington Capitals' second game of the season.
The trio, who had never played together before, observed the changes since that game, and Ovechkin said they needed to be more predictable, hesitate less and find each other quicker for passes.
It worked, and the result was a hot start for the Capitals and their 39-year-old captain, who is closing in on one of hockey's most unassailable records faster than expected. Ovechkin needs to score five goals in his last four games to catch up with and pass Wayne Gretzky for the NHL career goals mark before the end of the season – and Washington has won eight of 11 games.
“We connect, play for each other, and that’s the most important thing,” Ovechkin said. “It doesn’t matter if you score goals or provide an assist, you just have to do the same thing over and over again.”
Ovechkin did the same thing – put the puck in the net – better than anyone other than Gretzky in the history of the sport. Seven goals this season took him to 860, 35 shy of the record.
“It’s fun to play with him and see his excitement every time he goes on the ice and scores goals,” Protas said. “You want to help him more with that, be with him and get the energy out of it because he's definitely a phenomenal player. He’s looking for something special right now and it’s definitely great to be with him and be a part of it.”
It's something coach Spencer Carbery referred to as “Leadership 101” as Ovechkin took matters into his own hands by watching game tape with younger teammates. Protas said it was very helpful and it didn't hurt that the advice came from a superstar with Ovechkin's resume.
“Anytime he talks about where we need to be offensively and how we can get better, of course we're going to listen,” said Strome, who ranks fifth in the league with 13 assists and leads the Capitals in scoring with 17 points. “It’s a good combination at the moment so we have to keep going.”
Ovechkin, who was just named the NHL's first Star of the Week, didn't score his seventh goal of last season until his 34th game on Dec. 30.
When asked what was different, he joked: “Stromer finds me and gives me the puck.”
Strome doesn't necessarily disagree. His philosophy when playing with Ovechkin is simple: “Get him the puck.”
“Have to play with your instincts. If you instinctively think the 860-goal guy is open, you're probably going to want to pass the puck to him,” Strome said. “He makes great plays too. That's the thing: It's not just his goals. I think his assists are good too, he plays really good passes and we find a way to connect.”
Ovechkin has seven assists. Last month, he joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists.
And it's not just Ovechkin, Strome and Protas who produce. Connor McMichael matched Ovechkin with seven goals and Tom Wilson had six to start his new contract in style.
The Capitals' 4.18 goals per game are third in the NHL after averaging 2.63 last season, ranking 28th out of 32 teams.
“I feel like we’re just a much better team offensively,” Carbery said. “We have possession of the puck, which ultimately means we control more plays this year than last year.”
After making it into the playoffs and losing in the first round to the New York Rangers, the Capitals showed a better offense again. And while things have gone well so far, players know there is still a long way to go and success may be fleeting.
“When you win, it's always nice, but there will be ups and downs,” Ovechkin said. “We have to see how we react when we go down because those days will always be there. And we just have to stick together.”
